Metal culvert.



l 0. A. HAAS.

METAL 'GULVERT- APPLICATION FILED DEO. 31, 1907.

9 Patented 099.5,1909r o'rTo A. 0F MPoRIA,- KANSAS.

METAL cULvERT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

Application filed V I Pecember 31, 1907. Serial No. 408,782;-

' To all 'whom 'it may concern: l

Be it known that I, OTTO A. HAAs, a citizen of the United States, residing at EmL poi'ia, in the countyof Lyon and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful . which the following is a specilication This invention relates to corrugated metal.

culverts, pipes or tanks, which are ordinarily inade from heavily galvanized sheet metal corrugated and formed into a cylinder.

The lengths vin which the culverts can be inade are liinitedby 'transportation i and other conditions, specially in the larger sizes, hence4 it is necessary to.' splice two or more cylinders at the ends in order to make a culvert of the desired lengt-h. Heretofore the coupling or splice has been made by crimping downthe end corrugation of one section until it will slip into the other, and then bolting the two together, but this isa matter of considerable trouble, and it is also unsatisfactory because it has been found that lwhen pressure is applied to the culvert at the joint, the sections will shear the bolts and spread. apart," which makes a leaky culvert which cannot well be cured without taking out the whole culvert. The sheets of which the culverts are made'are commonly corrugated from one end to the other, and for. lthis reason it is desirable that a coupling or joint be provided which can be used in connection with sheets so rolled,because if the sheets have to be flattened at the ends or edges, or otherwise specially rolled, it increases the cost.' It isalso desirable that a coupling be prcvidedgwhichca-n be readily and easily attached', since the sections usually have to be joined a'fter' they leave the factory and possibly at places where special facilities do not exist for sheet metal work Arequiring any special tools or appliances.

. In view of these defects. and considerations, the'present invention has for its object to provide an improved form of or means for connecting together, corrugated culvert sections whichwill be'free from the objections indicated and which will answer the requirements referred to,"alf well as to rovide a' 'oint or, connectitgvhich wil be substantially-Jas strong as any. other part of the culvert.

The invention is illustrated in the panying drawins, invwhichi l Figure l1 "is`5aerspective view "illustrating two'` culvert sections, the end of one being Improvements in Metal Culverts, of.

acconiopen to admit the end of the other, preparatory to uniting the saine. F ig. Qis a perfspective view showing the sections connected. Figui), is a detail in section on the line 3-3 of F ig. 2.'-

In the present Ainvention a lapped joint is formed by slipping the end of one section into the end of .the other. The corrugated sections are indicated at 6, in the drawindg,

`thesheets forming the sections being rolled and corrugated and then bent to circular form and lapped along a longitudinal seam which is closed by means of bolts 7 a row of which extends through the lapped edges. The device for connecting .the sections consists of a pair of lugs 8, of cast metal or the like, the base parts 9 of which are shaped or curved on-the bottom to lit Awithin ,one of the corrugated depr lsions or grooves on the outer sideiofone o the sections. These lugs are fastenedto the sheet metal by means of bolts 10, and they are located on oppositei sides of the longitudinal seam'. The lugs have openings to receive a bolt ll, which is of, so that the bolt may be .utilized to spread the seam open as wellas to closefit. This pair of lugs is preferably located in the second corrugation or groove from the end' of the section, so that the first or end corrugation, indicated at 14, will be free to lap the first corrugation'on the inner section without any obstruction from the nuts or heads on the inner ends of thebolts 10. In connecting the culvert sections by means of this device the longitudinal seam of one section is open, or left unbolted, when it lea-Ves thea factory, at least for a short distance at the? end, and its end may then bespread open by backing off the nuts 12 and screwing up the nuts 13, thereby enlarging the end of the section as shown in Fig.A 1, which condi tion the closed end of the adjacent section maybe slipped within until the first corru- 1f rations are overlapped. Then by retracting t e nuts 1,3 and screwing up the nuts 12, the

outer section is clamped over the inner Section and the longitudinal seam is closed, after which thebolts'7 can be put in place. By means of this simple device a very tight.

bind and joint are produced, and since one eorrngationoverlaps into a' depression ofthe the'r, V'the sections cannot be pulled apart lengthwise, but the joint will in all respects be practically as strong, if not stronger, than anyother part of the culvert.' It Will be seen that this result is eected Without any special angle plates or any great number of bolts, and Without any projections o'n the in'- side of the culvert, and With only a slightl projection on the outside. Special flataroll ing at either the circular or the longitudinal seam is unnecessary, and the Whole connection can be effected without the use of any other tool than a Wrench. Any strain incident to Weight will be inetlfectual to shear the connecting screw, which will be under tensile strain only. It 1s also unnecessary to 'crimp 'down or reduce the end of the inner section, the bolt serving to both spread open and draw together the end of the outer sec tion. ln addition to splicing the ends and holding them together, the screw also serves to hold the longitudinal seam together.

The invention is not limited to the exact embodiment shown, but is capable of lnodisides of the seam, and a screw connecting the lugs and adapted to c lose the longitudinal seam and clamp the outer section on the inner one.

- 1 2. A culvert comprising a body portion tions of corrugated sheet metal plates, a cor-v rugation atv the end of one overlapping a corrugation atstheend Y of. the other, the

outer sectionhavingl an openable longitudi-f l nal seam, lugs fastened to opposite edges of the plate in -one of the corrugations adjacent the seam and near the end of the section, a screWJ-hreaded at both ends and extending through the lugs, and nuts on the screw on both sides of' each of the lugs, whereby to either spread 4or close the seam.

In testimony whereof I afHX my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

OTTO A. HAAS.'

Witnesses: J. E. PYLE, l A. L. KILLINGSWORTI-I. 

